Nowell Earns Third Team All-America Honors from The Sporting News
Nowell was drafted into the third team by Iowa Chris MurrayKentucky’s Oscar TshiebweMemphis’ Kendric Davis and North Carolinas Armando Bacot.
The first team included Purdues Zach EdeyIndiana Trayce Jackson DavisKansas’ Jalen WilsonAlabama Brandon Miller and Gonzagas Drew Timme. The second team consisted of UCLAs Jaime Jaquez, Jr.Arizona’s Azoulas tubelisHouston’s Markus SasserPenn State Jalen Pickett and marquettes Tyler Kolek.
Nowell is the first wildcat to have received All-America honors since Rodney McGruder received an honorable mention from the AP in 2013. He is the ninth player in school history to be selected by an All-American The sports news and the first since Jacob Pullen received third-team awards in 2011.
The honors continued to pile up for the 5-foot-7, 160-pound point guard from Harlem, NY, who became a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard Award on March 6, a day after his selection for the All-Big appointed 12 first team and all-defensive team by the league coaches. The three-time Big 12 Player of the Week and consensus international of the week on January 9 was also named to the Midseason National Player of the Year watchlists for the Oscar Robertson Trophy, the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Award.
Nowell averages 17 points on 37.6 percent (146 of 388) from the field, including 35.6 percent (74 of 208) from the 3-point area and 88.5 percent (162 of 183) from the free-throw line combined with a Big 12-best 7.7 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in 36.4 minutes per game. He ranks in the top 3 of the Big 12 in 13 categories, including all-time assists (238), assists/game, free throws made (162) and attempted (183), free throw percentage, steals (76), steals/game, and history.
Nowell finished the Big 12 game and ranked first in 6 categories including goals (19.5 ppg.), 3 point field goals/game (2.8), assists (7.2 apg.), steals (2.8 spg.), free throw percentage (91.1), and minutes (38.8 mpg.).
Nowell ranks third nationally in assists/game (7.7 apg.) and total assists (238), while ranking in the top-20 in 5 other categories including fifth in steals (76), eighth in steals/game (2.5 spg. ), 13th in free throws (162), 19th in minutes/game (36.3) and 20th in free throw rate. He has 8 games with 10 or more assists this season while he has 7 double-doubles (points/assists), including the school’s first 30-10 double-double with 32 points and 14 assists in the 19-16th-ranked win Baylor on January 7th.
K-State has entered the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship as No. 3, playing by 8 against No. 6 and No. 22/22 TCU (20-11, 9-9 Big 12). :30 p.m. CT on Thursday.
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